As soon as Robert finished speaking, Kairey vanished from sight, reappearing right in front of him. Without hesitation, Kairey launched a powerful punch directly at Robert. It seemed Kairey was even more eager to commence the battle than Robert.
With a loud "Boom!" Robert raised his arm to block Kairey's attack. Although he managed to deflect the blow, he was pushed back significantly. While Robert himself was relatively unharmed, the impact of the clash was devastating to the nearby buildings, causing them to collapse.
"Boom!"
Hearing the noise, Hellboy turned his head to look but didn't stop. Instead, he continued running towards the church. Robert had saved him, and with Robert handling Kairey, Hellboy decided to join forces with Constantine to deal with Serdar. Facing a Hell Lord was out of his league; only Robert could handle such a powerful foe.
"You sure talk big for someone with your level of power. You dared to rescue someone from me and challenge me to a fight. It seems you've never tasted death!" Kairey sneered, glancing at the ruins where Robert was. He had initially thought Robert might be a formidable opponent, or even the Ancient One, who had intervened to save Hellboy. However, their brief encounter had made Kairey less wary of Robert.
"Honestly, I have died before, more than once…" Robert's figure emerged from the rubble, a smile on his face and his eyes burning with intense battle spirit, though not fully unleashed. "But why hasn't it arrived yet? If we fight seriously, Earth won't withstand it, will it?"
Robert was puzzled. From Kairey's aura alone, he could tell that Kairey was the strongest opponent he had faced alone, even surpassing Mephisto, who hadn't fully descended before. That battle was against a weakened Mephisto and fought alongside Clark. This Kairey was much stronger. Even Nakshi, empowered by his true self, wasn't as formidable due to the imperfect nature of his human vessel. Kairey, in contrast, retained nearly all his original power, lacking only the full augmentation from the Hell dimension and the physical disparities of his current form.
Facing such a powerful adversary, Robert knew he needed to go all out. But unleashing his full power would be catastrophic for Earth. Hence, Robert wondered why the Ancient One hadn't appeared to open a mirror dimension, which would allow them to fight without harming the real world. Without the Ancient One, Robert was reluctant to release his full strength, especially in an area that wasn't completely deserted.
"Are you waiting for reinforcements? After learning my identity, do you really think anyone on Earth can stand against me?" Kairey smirked. "And about Earth being unable to withstand it, you're overthinking. I will cherish Earth well. At least until I fully possess it, nothing will harm her..."
"Is that so? Then I feel relieved!" Robert responded, giving Kairey a deep look. With that, he no longer restrained his battle spirit or power. In an instant, he transformed, unleashing the "Fury of the Giant Ape" and disappearing from sight.
"Hmm?" Kairey's eyes narrowed as Robert vanished. Even he couldn't track Robert's movements. If not for the persistent sense of danger around him, he might have thought Robert had used some special method to escape.
Realizing he had underestimated Robert, Kairey grew serious. Just then, Robert reappeared behind him, delivering a powerful right kick to his body. Although Kairey reacted swiftly, he was still a moment too late. Unable to fully defend against the attack, he was sent flying into another building and crashed into the ground, creating a massive crater.
"Boom!"
The earth trembled from the impact, making Robert frown. In past battles, causing such destruction wouldn't have bothered him much since it was difficult to control the collateral damage. However, he had grown accustomed to fighting in the safety of the mirror dimension, where damage to the real world was minimized. The current destruction was unsettling.
"Impressive! I never imagined Earth would harbor someone as strong as you, a being of lordly power. Are you a god of Earth? No, the gods left Earth long ago. You're not from the line of the Ancient One either. Who exactly are you?" Kairey's voice echoed ominously from the crater, laced with a chilling tone that seemed to freeze the surrounding air.
"Why all the questions? I'm not that interested in your origins either. I just want a good fight!" Robert's lips curled into a slight smile as he addressed Kairey. "So take this seriously. It wasn't quite right for you to get knocked back so easily."
"Indeed..." Kairey acknowledged, and before his voice faded, Robert sensed a surge of danger. He braced himself, but a formidable force still struck him, sending him hurtling through the air.
"Boom!"
"Zing!"
As Robert flew back, a frigid energy beam shot towards him, intending to freeze everything in its path. "If you want me to show my true strength, can you withstand it? Even among lords, there are differences, and you're far from being a threat to me!" Kairey's voice rang out, mocking Robert's abilities.
"So strong!" Robert thought, realizing Kairey's attack had pushed his limits. Even with his "Fury of the Giant Ape" transformation, Robert was struggling against Kairey's might. As the freezing energy neared, Robert knew he couldn't block it in time.
"Buzz!" But Robert wasn't without means of counterattack. Even though Kairey's power exceeded his own, Robert's relentless fighting spirit wouldn't wane. Activating his "Raging Fist," Robert broke free from his immobilized state and unleashed a powerful burst of explosive flames towards the icy energy.
Though Robert could have used a Ki blast, the explosive flames seemed to have a potential elemental advantage against Kairey's ice-based demonic powers.
"Boom!"
When the explosive flames collided with the freezing energy, they didn't melt into each other as one might expect. Instead, they reacted violently, detonating like a bomb. The explosion's force obliterated everything around them, flattening the nearby structures and leaving behind a massive crater.
"Alert! A massive explosion exceeding nuclear levels has been detected in the XX area. It appears to be the result of a battle involving powerful supernatural entities!" Jarvis's alarm sounded at the Avengers base, startling Tony Stark and his team, who were researching Venom.
"Activate satellite surveillance and notify the Avengers! Contact the Saiyans and Superman!" Tony Stark quickly issued orders, knowing such a battle posed a significant threat to Earth. Although the cause of the explosion was unclear, Stark prepared for the worst.
"Why isn't the Ancient One stepping in to contain this fight in the mirror dimension?" Morbius muttered in confusion. Such catastrophic battles had occurred before, but except for Robert's clash with the Hell King, most recent conflicts had been confined to the mirror dimension. This had maintained Earth's normalcy, preventing it from being devastated by each encounter. But this time, with no sign of the Ancient One, Robert was forced to battle a Hell Lord in the real world. Even in the initial exchange of power, the destructive force far exceeded human technology's capacity for damage. If the fight continued, Earth would surely be unable to bear it.
"We can't reach the Saiyans. Superman is on his way," Jarvis reported, providing a slight relief to Tony Stark and his team. Clark's strength was something they could count on.
Unable to contact Robert raised suspicions that this battle might involve him facing another powerful foe. Like Morbius, they wondered why the Ancient One hadn't intervened.
"Sorry, but the satellite surveillance can't penetrate the battle zone. It's shrouded in heavy smoke and dust…" Jarvis's voice added to the urgency, prompting Stark and his team to head to the explosion site themselves.
Naturally, the Avengers weren't the only ones alerted. Numerous official organizations also detected the explosion and were rushing to the scene.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Back at the battlefield, after the explosive flames and freezing energy clashed, Robert's body wasn't sent flying. Empowered by his "Raging Fist," he pressed forward, closing the distance to engage Kairey in close combat again.
This melee fight was far from easy for Robert. He was up against a Hell Lord who had perfectly descended in human form. Even if Kairey wasn't the most formidable among Hell Lords, his strength was undeniable. Despite transforming with the "Fury of the Giant Ape," Robert struggled to gain any advantage over Kairey.
In just a few exchanges, Robert sustained significant injuries. Blood dripped from his wounds, evaporating mid-air as he and Kairey clashed repeatedly. Kairey's attacks continually invaded and damaged Robert's body, hindering his regenerative abilities.
Yet, with the combined power of the "Fury of the Giant Ape" and the "Raging Fist," Robert's strength didn't waver. On the contrary, he seemed to grow stronger with each clash. Despite his bloody appearance, his fighting spirit soared. Even through the dust and debris, Kairey could see Robert's glowing eyes, filled with excitement and determination.
Kairey found himself frowning. As the battle progressed, he gauged Robert's strength, recognizing it as truly worthy of a Hell Lord's level. Even among Hell Lords, Robert wasn't weak. Yet, there was a significant gap between their powers.
This was evident in how Robert was continuously injured while Kairey remained unscathed.
However, what perplexed Kairey was that no matter how severely he wounded Robert, Robert's
relentless assaults never ceased. He hadn't retreated even once. With each passing moment, Robert's excitement grew, leading Kairey to wonder if he was facing a madman.
Most troubling for Kairey was the realization that as Robert became more exhilarated, the severity of the injuries Kairey inflicted lessened. Robert's wounds began healing more rapidly, enhancing his combat effectiveness.
This created a disturbing cycle: the longer they fought, the stronger Robert became. Kairey had never encountered such a battle strategy or ability, and it was starting to pressure him. He couldn't tell if Robert's combat prowess had any limit.
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